Robust Network Infrastructure Helped Paper Publish Real-Time Developments During Recent Gas Explosions

Comcast Business announced that the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning North of Boston Media Group and its family of publications, including The Eagle-Tribune, rely on network solutions from Comcast Business to stand out in the new era of digital publishing.

The media company’s network was put to the test in September when a gas line failure occurred in one of the communities the paper covers. The failure ignited fires and caused explosions, generating widespread concern across the community which turned to The Eagle-Tribune for timely information. Eagletribune.com website traffic soared during this time, leading to over 400K unique visitors and just under one million page views within a four-day span.

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“Our community relies on our reporters for answers and updates during times like this, and we pride ourselves on being that critical resource and lifeline,” said John Gregory, director of Information Technology at the North of Boston Media Group. “To do this effectively we need to be able to upload digital assets like photo and video quickly, post and edit stories as news breaks, share the news on social media in a timely manner, and manage influxes of web-traffic at any given time.”

During this crisis, the other publications in the network had to operate as usual. With the advanced infrastructure supported by Comcast Business, Gregory’s team was able to maintain the needed bandwidth at other sites and even relocate equipment to continue operations without missing a beat.

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The Eagle-Tribune, the flagship of the North of Boston Media Group, delivers news across the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire with offices based in North Andover, Massachusetts and Derry, New Hampshire. The media group leverages Ethernet Dedicated Internet (EDI) and Ethernet Network Services (ENS) from Comcast Business to host its digital infrastructure and for strong bandwidth management and data flow between offices. The EDI and ENS services provide The Eagle-Tribune with the speed and scalability it needs to thrive while affording it cost-effective solutions.

“As the digital age continues to redefine the way users retrieve and receive news, Comcast Business is dedicated to helping organizations like The Eagle-Tribune expand their capabilities to help keep citizens informed and communities connected,” said Barry Bader, Vice President of Comcast Business for the Greater Boston region.

The publication is also looking toward the future of media dissemination and identifies Comcast Business as a major provider in its transition into additional cloud-based solutions and capabilities. With a focus around internal improvements, Gregory and his team are looking to expand day-to-day bandwidth as organizations shift toward hosted services and cloud migration.